GOVERNOR LAMONT ENDORSED BY INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 478

Hartford, Conn. – Governor Ned Lamont today announced he has received the official endorsement of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 478, representing skilled heavy equipment operators, mechanics, and construction workers who build, maintain, and modernize Connecticut’s vital roads, bridges, utilities, and infrastructure.

The announcement follows the Governor’s visit to Local 478’s premier training facility in Meriden, where he met with members and apprentices to tour their extensive hands-on training and continuing education programs. The Governor was joined at the facility by Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati; Nate Brown, Local 478 Business Manager and President; Gregg Strede, Local 478 Training Director; and Joe Toner, Executive Director of the Connecticut State Building Trades Council.

“The highly skilled men and women of IUOE Local 478 are quite literally building Connecticut’s future, keeping our infrastructure safe, modern, and resilient,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “As Governor, I’ve stood shoulder-to-shoulder with organized labor, protecting the right to organize, investing in good-paying union jobs, and building the workforce our growing economy depends on. Together, we are making historic investments in our infrastructure and creating sustainable career pathways for the next generation. I’m incredibly proud to have Local 478’s support as we continue this critical work.”

This announcement builds on a record of support by labor, who have pointed to how the Lamont administration has delivered for Connecticut’s working families, including paid family and medical leave, a minimum wage approaching $17 per hour, historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy, expanded workforce training and apprenticeship opportunities, and stronger protections for workers on the job. Governor Lamont has also strengthened health and safety standards for essential workers and cracked down on employee misclassification, helping protect workers’ rights, wages, and union standards.

“This administration has stepped up time and time again to support the workers who build Connecticut,” said Nate Brown, Business Manager and President of IUOE Local 478. “Governor Lamont believes in union power and organized labor, with legislation that gives our members and workers a stronger voice at the table. By supporting our apprenticeship programs and delivering historic investments in our state’s roads, bridges, and utilities, he is ensuring our members have safe, high-skill, long-term careers. On behalf of the membership of Local 478, we are proud to endorse Governor Lamont for his continued leadership.”

IUOE Local 478 joins a growing list of endorsements, including U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and U.S. Reps. John Larson, Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, Jim Himes and Jahana Hayes, Comptroller Sean Scanlon, Treasurer Erick Russell, Attorney General William Tong, 93 State Lawmakers, 86 Democratic Town Committee Chairs, more than 50 municipal leaders across the state, 44 Democratic State Central Committee members, the Connecticut AFL-CIO, the Teamsters Union, Unite Here Local 217, Unite Here Local 34, the Connecticut District Laborers’ Council, the Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association, the Amalgamated Transit Union of Connecticut, and the Connecticut Carpenters Union. The campaign will continue to roll out additional endorsements in the coming days.